The NDN-Jazz Master: Mwalim DaPhunkee Professor

Mwalim *7), a.k.a. 'DaPhunkee Professor' is a multidisciplinary, Mashpee Wampanoag master
artist and teacher. His works span the genres of music, literature, spoken-word, theater, and film. He is the 2010, 2012 and 2014 winner of the New England Urban Music Awards ' Best Male Jazz' category as well as a multi-year Osborne Foundation fellowship recipient for music and media.

As a musician, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, he is the type of soul - funk - jazz artist who embodies the time-honored tradition of the musical storyteller. A vibrant and prolific figure in the underground soul and dance music scene, Mwalim notes, "I never made a killing, but I've always made a living."

Playing Carnegie Hall before he turned 14, Mwalim starting his career in the 1980's, while attending Music & Art High School. Hanging out in the fabled 251 West 30th Street music building led to doing session work at Planet Studios and Rogue studios; later doing session work at Jazzy Jay Recording Studios when it was located in the Bronx. Nicknamed "The String Guy" for adding violin, viola and cello parts to songs, he also played keyboard on a number of early hip-hop, r&B and dance music recordings in New York City and eventually Boston, MA.

Mwalim came into his own as a producer, arranger and remix artist, lending his talents to projects by a myriad of major and independent labels and artists before emerging as a solo soul artist in the late 1990s in the east coast small club circuit. As an underground soul artist, his style and sound was part of the foundation for the 'neo-soul' trend. A mentor to many up and coming artists, he is considered the 'Godfather of the South Coast Soul Movement' (referring to the Southern region of New England).

As a spoken-word artist (poetry, storytelling, and oral history) and playwright, his work has  been presented throughout the USA and Canada. Mwalim received his formal training in theater arts and education from New African Company in Boston; New England's oldest, continuous professional Black theater company. He has received such prestigious grants and fellowships as the Aldridge, Osborne Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, Longwood, Bronx Writer's Center, and the Healy. Since 2004, Mwalim has been New African Company's playwright-in-residence and has productions of his work commissioned by Hibernian Hall, Provincetown Theatre Company, National Park's Service, MNCAAA, the New England Foundation for the Arts, and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of Massachusetts. As a filmmaker, Mwalim has produced experimental installations and documentaries for galleries, museums and libraries throughout the USA. He is a former filmmaker-in-residence for WGBH (Boston PBS affiliate).

Mwalim has opened for, accompanied and/or performed with Musiq, The Four Tops, Angie Stone, The P-Funk All-Stars, The Junior Walker All-Stars, The Last Poets, KRS –ONE, and N’Dambi. His CD, “The Liberation Sessions” (Liberation Music – MGM) scored the club hit, DEM BIG GIRLS and earned multiple top nominations from the Urban Music Awards as well as two Top nominations from the 2010 and 2011 Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs). After a stint at a major label as an artist and producer, Mwalim formed Liberation Music - MGM in 2007, launching their first release in 2008; the critically acclaimed "Sketches of a Neighborhood" by The Bass Mint Bros.

Mwalim is the director of Black Studies and a tenured Associate Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

For more information, visit www.mwalim.com

Follow Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor on Twitter @mwalim

"Awakened By A Noon Day Sun" an exploration of contemporary jazz from the Native American Perspective

Mwalim's latest album, "Awakened By A Noon Day Sun" (LMMGM/ Spirit Wind Records, 2014) has been attracting the attention of jazz as well as Native American radio stations and formatted shows with his signature 'NDN Jazz' style. A Mashpee Wampanoag, Mwalim points to the melodic structure and style of Eastern Native American songs as a significant influence on his songwriting and composition. 

"Awakened By A Noon Day Sun" is a multi-level musical exploration. As an Afro- Native musician and composer (West Indian and Mashpee Wampanoag), Mwalim masterfully crafted NDN (Native American) influenced melodies and harmonic structures into jazz and funk. Mwalim's ten year-old son, Morgan, also contributed to the album, playing percussion on several of the songs (as well as serving as photographer for the projects promo pictures).

It was the 2013 NAMA that brought Mwalim to the attention of several Native American record labels, but it was the offer from Spirit Wind Records' CEO, Donald Blackfox that he accepted. "Mr Blackfox seemed to be the most supportive in regards to helping me cultivate my artistic vision for this and future projects." Including the debut album of NDN Soul-Funk band, The Groovalottos.

"Awakened By A Noon Day Sun" is the kind of album one would expect from an ethnographic folklorist and musicologist. Having attended powwows and native socials since infancy; listening to the various styles and forms of NDN music featured there. From the eastern styles sung with rattles and hand drums, to the western singers gathered around the big drums, to the various traditions of flute players. This along with the classical, jazz, opera, soul and calypso that were regularly played at home greatly influence his eclectic tastes and understanding of music. 

While 'Melodic Storytelling' is a technique found in many cultures and forms -one of the most famous examples being Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"- within the aesthetic of many Native American styles, the emulation of nature and the capturing of an experience or feeling in nature is what informs the song as well as a dance that might go with it. Here, Mwalim took us through a song-by-song discussion.


Mwalim is the 2010 and 2012 winner of the "Best Male Jazz Artist" category in the New England Urban Music Awards" and a multi-category Top Nominee in the 2013 and 2010 Native American Music Awards. In January 2014, Mwalim was a recipient of the "Silver Arrow Award". "Awakened By A Noon Day Sun" will be released in February of 20014 on Spirit Wind Records. Mwalim is a tenured professor at UMass Dartmouth. For more information check www.spiritwindrecords.us. For more information about Mwalim visit www.mwalim.com or check him out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mwalim7.

"DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers" - Classic House Music by Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor

On "DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers", Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor takes us on a musical journey through classic house music... it was a night  in the 1980's, a high school student was able to slip into the legendary Paradise Garage on a night when the maestro Larry Levan was on the turn-tables. The dance music that he played that night would forever tweak the musical imagination of young jazz musician on his way to becoming a composer and producer of soul-funk-jazz projects of his own. This was Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor's introduction to the garage sound that would become House Music.

Soaring, soulful vocals, lush, jazz keyboards and funky bass lines and beats permeate this album from cut to cut. Scoring serious college, Internet, and Native American radio keeping "The ABYSS", "Just Is..." and "To My NDN Relations" in rotation, it's little wonder that this album won the New England Urban Music Award for 'Best Jazz' and top nominations in the Native American Music Award for 'Best Pop'.

Songs From "DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers":

Mwalim BIO:
Mwalim *7) DaPhunkeeProfessor is a dynamic Renaissance man in the contemporary cultural arts scene. A creator of urban music for sophisticated tastes, his branded soul-funk-jazz sound has grooved crowds from arenas to small lounges. A child of the crossroads, he is the keeper of many traditions, manifesting in the forms of music, spoken-word, literature, theater, film and television.

Drawing comparisons to such legends as Gil Scott-Heron, Oscar Brown, Jr and Lou Rawls; Mwalim *7) is a musician, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, he is the type of soul - funk - jazz artist who embodies the time-honored tradition of the musical storyteller. A vibrant and prolific figure in the underground soul, jazz and dance music scenes, Mwalim *7) notes, "I never made a killing, but I've always made a living." An internationally recognized living legend and veteran of the Black and Native American arts scenes, Mwalim *7) is far from new to this, but remains true to this.

Playing Carnegie Hall before he turned 14, Mwalim *7) began his career in the 1980's, while attending Music & Art High School. Hanging out in the fabled 251 West 30th Street music building led to doing session work at Planet Studios and Rogue studios; later doing session work at Jazzy Jay Recording Studios when it was located in the Bronx. Nicknamed "The String Guy" for adding violin, viola and cello parts to songs, he also played keyboard on a number of early hip-hop, r&b and dance music recordings in New York City and eventually Boston, MA.

Mwalim *7) came into his own as a producer, arranger and remix artist, lending his talents to projects by a myriad of major and independent labels and artists before emerging as a solo soul and spoken-word artist in the late 1990s. Possessing one of the smooth-funkiest vocals in jazz today, Mwalim *7) was initially to shy to sing, and began his solo career reciting poetry and stories over his piano playing, becoming a favorite on the east-coast spoken-word and small club circuit. As an underground soul artist, his style and sound was part of the foundation for the 'neo-soul' trend. A mentor to many up and coming artists, he is considered the 'Godfather of the South Coast Soul Movement' (referring to the Southern region of New England). After a bad stint with a major record label, Mwalim *7) re-organized his own independent label, Liberation Music – MGM from the imprint that he formerly used, Midnight Groove Recordings/ Multimedia.

Winner of the 'Best Male Jazz Artist' category at the 2010 and 2012 New England Urban Music Awards, Mwalim *7) has opened for and/or performed with Musiq, The Four Tops, Angie Stone, The P-Funk All-Stars, The Last Poets, KRS –ONE, and N’Dambi. His CD, “The Liberation Sessions” (Liberation Music – MGM) scored the club hit, DEM BIG GIRLS and earned multiple top nominations from the Urban Music Awards as well as two Top nominations from the 2010 Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs). After a stint at a major label as an artist and producer, Mwalim *7) helped form Liberation Music - MGM in 2007, launching their first release in 2008; the critically acclaimed "Sketches of a Neighborhood" as The Bass Mint Bros.

Now a mature and accomplished artist, Mwalim *7) continues to perform, produce, write and teach. His music remains a favorite among the grown & sexy crowd with a growing audience of young adults seeking the more sophisticated side of urban entertainment. Mwalim *7) has also developed a quickly growing NDN/Native American/ First Nations audience as his album “DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers” and E.P. “The Soul-Funk-Jazz of Mwalim *7)” is gaining rotation on NDN radio stations around the US and Canada; as well as his participation and performance in the landmark production of the Marie Clements musical “The Road Forward”. Also as the director of Black Studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, he is looking to create a Southcoast home for Afro- Native arts and culture.